


Tears of a Father's Love

by EmberNeo



Category: No Fandom
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-12-24
Updated: 2019-12-24
Packaged: 2021-02-27 00:35:08
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,500
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21938431
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/EmberNeo/pseuds/EmberNeo
Kudos: 2





	Tears of a Father's Love

Thunder rumbled across the sky over the valley, as Master Kirin stood upon the steps that lead up to the Zodiac Temple, the temple he had called home for many years. He watched as a procession of torches made its way out of the village that nestled at the foot of the mountain, it's inhabitants evacuating as the temple prepared for the arrival of one of its former prodigal sons.

Soon enough, lightning flashed across the darkening sky, illuminating the valley and even highlighting the numerous grey hairs present in the master's flowing beard, forcing him to close his eyes at the brightness. Once, he had been young, but the years have taken their toll upon him. When he reopened his eyes, he gazed upon the still-strong form of Tiger, his former student, and one of his best to date, standing in front of him. His hands were clenched into fists, though Tiger carried himself loosely as the wind picked up and ruffled the shock of black hair upon his head.

"I have come home, Master".

"This temple is no longer your home, and I am no longer your master".

Kirin was quick to reply, though he kept his guard up. His hands were folded into his sleeves, but his eyes showed little compassion for his former pupil. They were hardened, readying himself mentally for the task ahead.

"Yes, I've heard of your new pupils. The triplets. Quite the formidable opponents, though they still have much to learn from a master of your calibre", Tiger stated, his baritone voice carrying a mix of both respect and sarcasm as he spoke. Kirin felt himself tense up at Tiger's words, though he willed himself to keep calm.

"No one else needs to get involved, Tiger".

"On the contrary, I want your newest pupil. The so-called Spirit Warrior. I don't see him here". Tiger laughed as he looked around before turning his attention back to Kirin. "Did I scare him off?".

"This fight is between you and me", Kirin stated firmly as he put himself in a battle stance. He was prepared for whatever Tiger would throw at him first.

"So, it has come to this, Master.....".

"It has always lead to this, Tiger".

With a growl, Tiger leaped up into the air and twisted before coming down with an axe kick. Kirin barely managed to dodge out of the way as Tiger landed and shattered the stone steps, shards of stone flying outwards and bounced off of Master Kirin's arms. Without wasting any time, the former pupil would lift up a boulder and throw it towards the elderly master, who would easily shatter it through the center with a well-placed palm strike.

What he didn't expect was for Tiger to leap at him through the broken boulder and strike him dead in the solar plexus, forcing him back through the open doorway of the temple. Kirin recovered quickly, though the strike had already knocked the wind out of him. Tiger strode through the wooden portal, an aura of menace and rage coming off of him as he walked.

"I was sealed inside that cell for 22 years because of your weakness! You knew I was meant to be the Spirit Warrior! But when Grandmaster Ooku said otherwise, what did you do?

WHAT DID YOU DO?!".

Rage burned in Tiger's eyes he stopped walking and stood meters in front of his former master.

"You did NOTHING!".

Kirin's heart broke at those words, but he had to stay strong if he wanted to stop his former prodigy's rampage.

"You were never meant to be the Spirit Warrior and that was not my fault!".

Tiger seethed as he grabbed a circular blade from off the wall and threw it at his master, who dodged and watched as it buried itself in the wall next to him.

"Not your fault?! Who filled my head with dreams, telling me I was destined to become the Spirit Warrior?!".

A sword came flying through the air, but Kirin dodged it again, never looking to be on the offensive.

"Who told me to train until my bones screamed in pain and I was coughing up blood?!

A spear embedded itself into the wall next to Kirin's head, reaching all the way until halfway down the shaft.

"WHO DENIED ME MY DESTINY?!".

This time, a multitude of weapons flew at him, but Kirin deflected them deftly, a few getting through to cut through his long sleeves and flowing robes.

"Obeying the Grandmaster is not weakness! It wasn't my decision to not make you the Spirit Warrior!".

Tiger growled and ran into a nearby alcove to find more weapons, only to be greeted with an unfamiliar sight, though one gave him a pang of sadness at he looked at it. It was a memorial to Grandmaster Ooku, his walking stick laid out in front of rows upon rows of candles. Tiger felt his rage subside slightly, only for him to see an opportunity once he set eyes upon the walking stick.

Picking it up almost reverently, he turned to his former master and held it out to him.

"It is now".

Fury blinded Kirin momentarily and he launched into an attack against Tiger, but his younger opponent was faster and stronger and soon had him pinned against the floor by his throat with the walking stick.

"Tell me. Where. He. Is".

"I would rather die".

Tiger roared as he applied more pressure onto the walking stick, but Kirin held on, not wanting to get pierced through the throat. There was soon a loud cracking sound as the walking stick shattered and broke into two, the pieces flying off and falling to the floor. Kirin rolled over and looked at it, aghast that the Grandmaster's memory was defiled like so. He didn't notice Tiger sending a flying kick at him until it hit him in the side.

The fight continued from then on, with Kirin parrying and deflecting Tiger's blows as his former pupil attacked with all the ferocity of his namesake. Kirin lost ground under the assault, not taking any hits but certainly not landing any of his own.

He couldn't bring himself to do it. He had loved Tiger as a son since the day he had found him as an infant upon the steps of the Zodiac Temple. He had trained him from a boy until he had grown into a fine man. Now he was face to face with his prodigal son in a fight to the death.

The master was propelled through one of the wooden walls and out into the pouring rain. Thunder rumbled and lightning flared through the sky with every strike and punch that they traded, but Kirin still found himself losing more and more ground. It got to the point where he mistimed a strike from Tiger and it sent him through the wall once again and back into the temple, where he fell onto his back and slid across the floor.

Tiger wasted no time at all and quickly pounced, easily gaining the upper hand and straddling Kirin's abdomen. With almost no energy left to defend himself, the master was vulnerable to the rain of blows coming from his former pupil.

"All I ever did, I did to make you proud! Tell me how proud you are, Master!".

Kirin could feel himself blacking out, but he could have sworn that it wasn't sarcasm that he heard in Tiger's voice as the blows continued to rain down and pummel his elderly body. Hot tears began to fall onto his chest as the blows continued.

"Tell me! TELL ME!".

Tiger landed one last blow, only barely missing his former master's head and punching a hole in the stone floor. However, the damage was already done. Master Kirin laid out on the floor, blood streaming from his lips as he gazed upwards at his student. Though now Tiger was sobbing loudly with his head buried in Kirin's chest.

"I was always....proud of you....Tiger. You were....more than....a student. You were.....my son....", Kirin rasped out as he raised a hand with some effort to gently pat his son's head.

"Then why? Why didn't you tell me earlier? All I ever wanted was your approval, Master", Tiger sobbed out.

"You...already had that....Tiger. You are....my son.....and I will always....love....and forgive you.....", Kirin said gently, coughing up a gout of blood as he felt his life force slip away.

Tiger made to stem the bleeding, but Kirin just stopped him and looked up at his son with a gentle gaze.

"You must....leave. But know...that....you were always my.....Spirit....Warrior....", Kirin rasped out finally, before his spirit left him and his hand fell lifeless to the floor.

Tiger spent a few more minutes sobbing and grieving for his master and father, before he fled the ruined temple, the ghost of his father's last words ringing in his mind.


End file.
